I'm Worth It
by Kate Lotus
Summary: I seriously can't believe Lucy convinced Gajeel to actually come to a club. I mean, I guess it is my birthday. I wonder...when will we talk about that kiss?
1. Levy's Point of View

**So for anyone who knows me or reads a lot of what I write, obviously, I love writing about clubbing, because I, myself, love to go clubbing. So, please enjoy. If you have any requests, PLEASE PM me! I love writing requests! I don't own Fairy Tail or that small bit of the song I used in the fic!**

"Lu-chan, did you really have to drag me into this?" I sighed, and removed my glasses, looking down at my excited blonde friend. Lucy sat at her mirror, getting herself ready for the evening ahead. "I'd much rather stay at home and read the new books Gajeel got me for my birthday…"

The Iron Dragon Slayer had gruffly given me a whole set of books I'd been saving up for, saying _I'd jus' noticed them lyin' around, I don't need them. You like books. Here._ I blushed and thanked him, telling him how grateful I was. He just scratched the back of his head, mumbled, and walked off.

"Yes, Levy! You only turn eighteen once! And this club just opened! I promise it's going to be a lot of fun!" Lucy exclaimed as she stood up to look at me. "Now sit down! It's your turn for makeup. I've got a super cute outfit picked out for you." I sighed once more, reluctantly doing as she asked. "Don't worry. Jet and Droy are out on a request, and Gajeel is coming too."

My jaw dropped, and Lucy giggled.

"He is _not._ He hates dancing." I said in disbelief. I _know_ he hates dancing. Everyone knows it! He only danced with me that one time, when Jet and Droy were too busy fighting over me. I felt really frustrated, and before I could yell at my two idiots, Gajeel took my hand and placed his on my waist.

Yeah. I remember that day _very_ well.

"Be that as it may, a certain flame brain might have convinced him by saying it's for you, and that you love dancing." That devilish grin appeared on her face as she cackled to herself. Really, Lucy, you can be such a handful sometimes…

"All right, fine, you got me. Let's get started!" Lucy smiled and I smiled at each other, and though I didn't want to admit it, I was looking forward to an adventurous night.

* * *

"Are you sure this looks all right, Lu-chan?" I asked, turning around while trying to inspect the outfit Lucy had set out for me. It was a very pretty, fitted, orange halter top. I shivered as I felt the night air touch my back. NOT that I'd be willing to admit it to anyone, but in this case, small boobs are a blessing. While it was different from what I was used to, I didn't need anything for support, and it left my whole back bare. She had paired it up with just some denim shorts and boots. The top allowed my midriff to show along with the belly ring I may or may not have gotten while thinking about a certain Iron Dragon Slayer.

"Um, are you kidding me? You look gorgeous. And the outfit is just right for tonight's occasion!" Lucy said, giving me a thumbs up. She had put light gray eye shadow on me, with a little mascara, then called Cancer for my hair, which, too, was just a simple pony tail with some hair falling to the sides of my face.

I smiled at her and followed her into the club. The lighting was dim, and the music was loud. I scanned the room for any sign of anyone we knew, and before I knew it, Lucy was pulling on my arm towards a table where other members of our guild sat.

As we approached, I began to recognize who all was there. Gray, Juvia, Natsu, Erza, Jellal, and…Gajeel! He really came?

Lucy and I greeted everyone we sat down in the two empty spaces left for us. Lucy – of course – sat next to Natsu, whereas I sat next to Gajeel, who made a job of looking uncomfortable.

"All right! A round of drinks on me! Happy Birthday, Levy!" Natsu shouted, waving the waitress over and asking for a round of shots. It wasn't long before they arrived and Lucy raised her glass.

"To Levy! Let's have a wonderful night!" Everyone echoed and downed their drinks. I resisted the urge to cough and sputter. It felt like fire was going down my throat.

Yet it had a weird minty taste.

"What is this?" I asked once I got my voice back. I set the glass down and looked around at everyone.

"Peppermint Schnapps." Gajeel stated, looking down at me and smirking. "Care for a second round on me this time, Shrimp?" I nodded enthusiastically, deciding to ignore the nickname. It's not like he'd never called me shrimp before. And besides, it's my birthday, and he was here to celebrate. I couldn't nor wouldn't complain.

Everyone fell into conversations with someone around them, and I just looked at Gajeel, who – after waving down the waitress to ask for a second round – placed his elbow on the table and was staring off at something in the distance. It crossed my mind that I should be worried if he was okay, but in the next thought I convinced myself it was probably irrelevant.

The waitress came back with our second round of shots, and this time I knew what to expect. I downed the small glass and placed it triumphantly on the table, not feeling the need to cough the liquid up. To say the least, I felt proud. I looked back to Gajeel who had a somewhat amused look on his face.

By this point, my head felt light and dizzy and I didn't have a care in the whole world. I wasn't near drunk yet, but the buzz I had going was nice.

"Hey, c'mon you guys let's dance!" I said as I stood up and made my way to the dance floor. I was aware Lucy and Natsu had got up to follow me, and that Gajeel had stayed sitting at the table. I listened to the music, and moved my hips to the beat, loving that I was finally able to go out dancing. Lucy was absolutely right. I loved dancing. And since I didn't have a care in the world, why not let everything go? My hips moved to the music and I let my head roll on my shoulders.

This was a feeling I'd never had before. Believe it or not, before tonight, I'd never taken a sip of alcohol. I know there are some veterans among my rowdy group of friends, but I'd always chosen not to partake.

I love it.

I had no idea how much time went by, and I was having the time of my life. I would go back to the table once or twice and take another shot before coming back to the dance floor and resuming dancing with Lucy while she wasn't busy with Natsu. Gray and Juvia had disappeared somewhere, and Jellal and Erza were seeing who could take the most shots. I didn't notice the stares I was getting when I danced, so I was surprised when a stranger felt up my thigh, skimming the hem of my shorts. I turned around, ready to be angry and defend myself.

But before I knew it, Gajeel had stepped in.

Placing his hand on my hip, he spun me around to face him, moving his hand to rest on my ass. Which, quite frankly, even if I had been sober, I wouldn't have minded.

I could tell by the look in his eyes, he wasn't too entirely happy. But I also knew he would wait until later to talk about it. He pulled me closer, and quickly, I turned in his grasp, dancing against him to the music playing. I felt the growl in his chest.

"This is _not_ what I came here for, Levy." I could feel his irritation radiating off of him, but I didn't care. I could tell I was getting drunk, and it's my birthday. I could do whatever I wanted. That included dancing on the man I was currently infatuated with. I wasn't sorry about it; he was the one who came up to me when I was having a blast dancing. Sure I might not be as seductively practiced as others, but when it came to Gajeel, it was a piece of cake.

His hand twitched on my bare hip as the music played and I continued dancing as if no one was behind me. Of course the music playing was mostly techno/dance-y remixes, so I was able lip sync or sing along to any song I knew if I wanted. It was at this moment that Gajeel had turned me to face him again. Both of his hands rested on my hips and I watched him as he looked me up and down, his gaze momentarily pausing on my belly ring. He looked down at me with an unreadable expression. I put my hands on his and leaned in.

" _Baby, I'm worth it. Uh huh I'm worth it. Gimme gimme I'm worth it. It's all on you, it's all on you so what you wanna do?"_ I mouthed as I danced, keeping eye contact with him. He gulped and his eyes flashed at mine. I smirked at him, giving him a playful wink as the rest of the verse continued. In my somewhat drunk state, I just didn't care. I mean, sure in the morning I would probably be mortified, but right now the only thing I cared about was the attention this man was giving me.

"What did you come here for, Gajeel?" I asked him, having to get on my tip-toes so I could make sure he could hear me over the loud music and crowd of people. Before I was able to lean back away, one of his hands slid from my hip up my back and into my hair, bringing me crashing into that perfect mouth of his.

I nearly gasped in surprise, but who I am I kidding? I'd been waiting for this to happen again for a long time. My arms wound around his neck as he brought me closer. Whether it was the alcohol or Gajeel, my head began to spin. It wasn't my first kiss by far, but this feeling? It was unlike any I've felt before. He tilted his head slightly, deepening the kiss and I moaned into his mouth. Everything about this felt right. It was like I couldn't get enough of him. But before I knew it, my lungs were burning in protest and I had to break the kiss in order to breathe.

"That. That is exactly what I came here for." It was his turn to smirk and laugh his signature chuckle. He took my hand. "Well, maybe not just that. Come with me, shrimp." I didn't even think as he led me out of the club. The cool breeze felt good on my damp skin. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. We continued walking a few blocks away from the club. I could feel myself becoming less and less drunk as the night went on, and I was fine with it. The buzz I had was nice and I wasn't totally mortified yet.

We stopped near a small park that had a set of swings, a merry-go-round, and a playground with a bench that sat not too far away. I made my way to sit on one of the swings, reminding myself that this wasn't the first time Gajeel and I had kissed. I mean, it was to save his life, but we had never really been able to talk about it. With all that had happened after, one small kiss was easily pushed aside for more important matters. Of course there had been times where we almost talked about it, but something always got in the way.

The chains on the other swing squeaked underneath Gajeel's weight. I turned towards him, not entirely surprised that he was straddling the swing, facing towards me. I took a deep breath, feeling the smile on my face before I knew it was there. We sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, just studying each other before the weight of his gaze made me turn away.

"Is there something you wanted to talk to me about, Gajeel?" I asked, my voice clear. I was focused on my hands. The belly ring I'd chosen tonight had a charm of the Fairy Tail mark. But instead of choosing the same color as the white one on my shoulder, something – or rather someone – made me choose the same color as a certain Iron Dragon Slayer. I don't know if the reasoning was conscious or not, but every time I wore it, I think of him.

"I've never been one to beat around the bush, so I figure I'll jus' out and say it." I looked back at him, studying his profile. I felt tingly all over. Whether it was from the remaining alcohol in my system, anticipation of what Gajeel was about to say, or both, I didn't know. "Before you saved my life. By doin', you know, doin' that thing. You were on my mind a lot. Ever since then, you're on my mind more often than not. And I was talkin' to Lily, seein' if he could help me figure out what I meant, ya know?" He looked up from his nervous fiddling, and looked me in the eyes. "What I'm tryin' to say is, I got these feelin's for you, Levy. And I know I haven't always made the best choices, but knowin' you has made me a better person, and I jus' wanna make you happy."

Without saying it explicitly, I knew he loved me. I'd have to be an idiot to know expressing emotions didn't come naturally to him. I also knew one day, he'd tell me in confidence. I said his name, looking into his eyes and reading the feelings he couldn't say. "You know, from day one, you've always been hard on me." He looked away and refused to meet my eye. "But without a strong force driving me like that, I wouldn't have had the motivation to work harder and do better. I wouldn't be the wizard I am now without you. That day I really thought I was going to lose you. I don't want to think about that. Gajeel, you are one of the most important people to me. I want to continue to be with you. I want to continue to help with whatever you need. I want you to continue to drive me to be a better wizard." I smiled at him, leaning closer so I could hold his face in my hands. "I know there wasn't really a question in there, but my answer is yes."

Before I knew it, his lips were pressed to mine, and I smiled, kissing him back. I know everyone tries to have an amazing eighteenth birthday, with legally becoming an adult and all. But there are no words to describe the feelings that I've experienced tonight. From when I first received those books from Gajeel as a birthday present, to this moment now with my hands wound around my Dragon Slayer's neck, there is no way I could ever have a better birthday than this.


	2. Gajeel's Point of View

**PLEASE beware, readers. There are slight spoilers. If you don't want to read the spoilers, skip to -. I really tried to keep them to a minimum by being vague though.**

So. The day had finally arrived. Shrimp's birthday. It's not like I'd remembered on purpose, you know. She said it once in conversation, and somehow the date just stuck in my head. I mean, I guess it helped that I marked it in my calendar but that's beside the point. I knew the Shrimp had been saving up for a new set of books by some famous wizard-author. And it literally just so happened I had most of the set sitting on my bookshelf in my flat. I did a lot of physical and magical training with Metalicana, sure, but he always made sure my mind was up to par as well. When he disappeared, many of the books he had me read were left.

It was hard to look back on those times fondly before I had known what all had happened. I wonder what he would say now, knowing that I was giving these precious books to someone even more precious. Would he still say I had that vile look in my eyes? With the help of Flame Brain's girl, it wasn't too hard to find the last book I needed. That blondie only helped if I promised to go with them tonight to a club for Levy's birthday. I groaned and complained, but accepted nonetheless. She'd said that the Shrimp would love it if I went along, and naturally I'd do almost anything to make her happy. So now I had the books I knew she wanted and had plans to attend the wretched club tonight. The only hard part was giving the books to her.

"C'mon man, you've been sitting here for the last twenty minutes just staring at her. If you're that worried about it, just give it to her and go. There'll be alcohol tonight and it'll help if you're dead set on talking to her." Lily said, nudging me in the arm. I glared at him, but by now he was immune to it.

"I ain't starin'! It's jus'…it's jus' embarrassin' is all, okay?!" I spat at him, realizing and hating the fact my cheeks were red. "'Specially with those two hangin' offa her like flies." It seemed that Jet and Droy were going on a job and were having a hard time leaving Levy on her birthday. Must not have remembered or something. Tsk. Serves them right.

It didn't take long for Levy to shoo the boys away. From what I could overhear, they were already going to be late and if they stayed any longer, they would miss the job entirely. Levy knew that they needed the money more than they needed to stay and celebrate, so she – being the responsible member of the group – made sure they eventually left. Once they went through the door, I stood up, resolving myself to go over there and give her gift to her. I took a deep breath. I can do this. As I approached her, she greeted me cheerfully. I had all that time to steel my nerves, but as soon as I saw that smile, anything that had in my mind just flew away. I held the books out to her, and she gingerly took them.

"I jus' noticed them lyin' around. I don't need them. You like books. Here." Was it just me, or did her whole face just get red? She held the books close to her and looked up at me, smiling so brightly I had to look away.

"Gajeel, thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to me. Really, thank you." I mumbled something like a 'you're welcome' before walking away. I could feel her eyes on my back as I collected Lily so I could mentally prepare myself before we went out to the club tonight. Ugh. Clubs.

Mehmehmeh

I can't believe I'm here. I can't believe it. If it wasn't for that Shrimp…I groaned, sending a sharp glare to that Flame Brain who seemed to be enjoying my discomfort.

"Dude, can't you at least look like you're trying to have a good time? This is for _Levy_ , you know. Unless you don't care that is…" Natsu thought he was _so_ funny. Of course he knew I cared. As much as we fight, we talk. I knew before he did how he felt for Lucy. I could see it in the way he acted. Of course, I could tell right away when I started developing feelings for Levy, but that is another story for another time. It took a while to trust anyone in Fairy Tail but when I did, besides Levy, Natsu was the first. I was just grateful that Natsu was too distracted by watching Lucy walk in to see how I reacted when Levy walked in beside her. The two had stopped, facing each other to talk, which gave me a complete view of what she was wearing.

Everyone knew that Levy almost always wore orange. It was a fact. But I had never seen her wear this outfit before. I gulped, unabashedly staring, thankful that the Shrimp hadn't noticed I was there yet. She wore a pair of denim shorts that left her hips bare and covered her ass, but just so. The orange top she wore tied behind her neck and behind her back. My heart thumped when I realized _she must not be wearing a bra._ I don't know why that thought was so sensual to me, so I looked away before anyone noticed my staring. Don't even get me started on her belly ring.

Within the next minute, Lucy and Levy had said their hellos and the Shrimp slid right next to me in the booth where we all sat. In the minute after that, we all had a shot to celebrate Levy's birthday. I suppressed a chuckle at Levy's reaction. I wasn't the only one there who knew that she'd never drank before. I looked down at her, amused.

"What is this?" She asked the group, then looked up at me. I smirked at her.

"Peppermint Schnapps. Care for a second round on me this time, Shrimp?" She smiled and nodded. Looks like the girl likes her first taste of alcohol. I waved to the waitress, signaling for her to bring another round of shots. I could faintly feel a pair of eyes on me, but I decided to ignore it. I put my elbow on the table and got lost in my own mind. It often happens, especially when I think about the Shrimp. I still wasn't sure how to bring up the fact that we had in fact kissed before. I didn't know how she would react. There were just so many things I didn't know about, and not that I would admit it to anyone, it scared me.

The second round of shots came and Levy knocked it back like a pro, looking exceptionally pleased with herself. Resisting the urge to chuckle at her, I smirked. It would take a few more shots for me to even feel buzzed, but I've learned to pace myself. Maybe in a few minutes I would order another shot. Or seven. I could tell she was feeling the alcohol already.

"Hey, c'mon you guys, let's dance!" Levy said cheerfully, her cheeks already taking a red tint. I decided to listen to the music and order another shot or two instead of going out on the dance floor. I knew how much I needed to drink in order to have a buzz going that would let me speak my mind without getting too sloppy, and the goal was to do just that.

I lost track of how much time Levy spent dancing. Sometimes with Lucy and Natsu and sometimes just by herself. She did come back to the table every so often to take another shot, amusing me each time. I tried to be nonchalant about how I watched her. I really tried. I watched as another man sized her up, looking at her like a predator does their prey. I stood instantly, and moved towards them as _his hand felt up her thigh_. Before she could react, he glanced over at me with my killer glare, ready to tear someone apart, and he fled. Heh. Serves him right. Fucker.

I put my hand on her hip, I turned her to face me. At this point of the night, I'd consumed enough alcohol to do what I want without really worrying about the consequences that could happen later. So partly because I was being possessive, and partly because I just wanted to, I let my hand rest on her ass, bringing her body just a bit closer to mine. Her eyes flashed playfully before she turned around in my grasp, as she continued to dance. I growled, not realizing I was doing it until it was already done.

"This is _not_ what I came here for, Levy." Of course I was irritated, but I was also a bit uncomfortable. The dance floor was not the place that I wanted her to move like this against me. It wouldn't even matter if it was any other girl. No, only Levy affected me like this and if I continued to let her dance right in front of me, I might have a problem to deal with later. My hand twitched on her hip, her bare hip, her slender hip, and I knew this had to stop. At least for now.

I turned her around, once again facing me. This time, I looked her up and down, unabashedly taking her all in. From her top to her belly ring which had the Fairy Tail mark in black – wait, in black? Her mark was white, so why would her belly ring be black? I mean my mark is black so maybe…no, no, that's wishful thinking – to her shorts, legs and boots. This girl in front of me was beautiful, alluring. For a moment I just looked at her. She put her hands on mine where they rested on her hips, and leaned up closer towards me.

" _Baby, I'm worth it. Uh huh I'm worth it. Gimme gimme I'm worth it. It's all on you, it's all on you so what you wanna do?"_ _She mouthed the lyrics as the verse went on, the little vixen, and she_ _still kept dancing_ _. I gulped, my eyes flashing at her. She knew she was affecting me. She winked playfully at me, and got on her tip-toes so I could hear what she was about to say._

 _"What did you come here for, Gajeel?" Her voice took a sultry tone and that was it. I slid my hand up into her hair and brought those perfect lips onto mine. It was almost like she melted into me. Her arms wrapped themselves around my neck, and her mouth moved eagerly against mine. This was nothing like before. Granted, that time she was saving my life, but who's keeping track of specifics? I tilted my head so I could deepen the kiss and perhaps enhance this feeling. When she moaned into my mouth I knew I had succeeded. She pulled away, taking a deep breath in, her eyes bright as she looked at me._

 _"That. That is exactly what I came here for." I chuckled and sent a playful smirk her way before taking her hand in mine. "Well, maybe not jus' that. Come with me, Shrimp." She followed me outside of the club to a small park. With a set of swings, a merry-go-round, a playground, and a bench, the park seemed to be a perfect place not to be disturbed at this time of night. She let go of my hand and sat on one of the two swings. I watched her and waited a moment, taking a deep breath, before following her and straddling the second swing. It squeaked underneath my weight._

 _She turned towards me and smiled that smile of hers that took up her whole face. I knew that it was now that we'd talk. Maybe it'd be a short conversation or maybe it would take the whole night. Either way, I'd be spending time with her, which was all right with me. We sat studying each other in silence for a few moments before her cheeks turned red and she looked away._

 _"Is there something you wanted to talk to me about, Gajeel?" She spoke clearly, her eyes focusing on the jewelry that hung from her navel. Depending on how this conversation went, I'd have to ask her about it one day._

 _"_ I've never been one to beat around the bush, so I figure I'll jus' out and say it." She looked up at me as I spoke, and I told myself to look her in the eye while I told her the truth, even though my nerves of steel were becoming more like nerves of noodles. "Before you saved my life. By doin', you know, doin' that thing. You were on my mind a lot. Ever since then, you're on my mind more often than not. And I was talkin' to Lily, seein' if he could help me figure out what I meant, ya know?" Somewhere while talking I'd found something very interesting with my hands and I began fiddling. I knew it was a nervous habit but I have to do my best to look at her. Not my hands. Her. Not my hands. "What I'm tryin' to say is, I got these feelin's for you, Levy. And I know I haven't always made the best choices, but knowin' you has made me a better person, and I jus' wanna make you happy."

She was quiet for a moment, and my emotions ran all over the place. I knew my face obviously showed everything that I was feeling, and I searched her eyes looking for an answer.

"Gajeel." She said my name, and we just looked at each other for a moment. "You know, from day one, you've always been hard on me." I felt my heart sink and I looked away. I knew it was going to turn out like this. I don't know why I even got my hopes up. "But without a strong force driving me like that, I wouldn't have had the motivation to work harder and do better. I wouldn't be the wizard I am now without you. That day I really thought I was going to lose you. I don't want to think about that. Gajeel, you are one of the most important people to me. I want to continue to be with you. I want to continue to help with whatever you need. I want you to continue to drive me to be a better wizard." Her small hands grasped the sides of my face, gently forcing me to look up at her smiling face. My heart skipped a beat as she continued to speak. "I know there wasn't really a question in there, but my answer is yes."

My lips were on hers in an instant. I knew one day I'd be able to say to her explicitly 'I love you'. But at this point, I think we know each other well enough to understand that there are still some personal obstacles we each need to overcome. I need to accept that I've done bad things in the past, yes, but that does not make me a terrible person. Levy needs to be more confident in herself and love herself more, and that is okay. There will always be things we need to work on, and that is okay. I will always be there for her.


End file.
